Forest destruction to continue unchecked - 8 June 2006

Greens MLC Ian Cohen today failed in his attempt to disallow a regulation which will allow logging of forest, including old growth and rainforest, to continue virtually unchecked on private land.

“I am disappointed that both the government and opposition voted to allow the destruction of forests on private land without a Code of Practice in place. This code is way overdue and has been promised since the Native Vegetation Act came into force in 2003.” Mr Cohen said.

“About 30 per cent of all timber logged in NSW comes from private land. Whereas farmers have to go through a stringent process before clearing on their land, the loophole for logging means that the same rules do not apply to Private Native Forestry. There should be consistency.

“By extending the time in which Private Native Forestry can go on without a Code of Practice until October, the government has essentially given the go-ahead for smash and grab logging.

“While logging of rainforest has been illegal on public land since the Wran government’s era, it can continue on private land.

“Recent investigations by the environment movement have shown that intensive logging of rainforest, old growth forests, riparian vegetation and threatened species habitats is commonplace on private land in NSW. Uncontrolled logging is having a severe environmental impact and it is completely unacceptable for such a destructive industry to go unregulated.” Mr Cohen said.